Becky Faitsch was an elementary school teacher and vice principal before a stroke left her paralyzed nine years ago. She spent six months on life support.
“When I was in the hospital, they thought I would be paralyzed from my nose down, the rest of my life,” she said. “They tried to convince my husband to pull the plug. … But obviously they were wrong. I woke up one morning. I had complete use of the right side, and I could feel and I had a little use of the left side.”
Becky, 59, lives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She can’t walk—although she’s working to get there—and still has little movement on the left. Her left hand is clenched into a fist, and her left foot is turned in.
But she does have use of the right side, and with her right hand, she emails people around the globe, telling them about Jesus.
Using Her Gifts
Becky is one of over 500 volunteers who are trained with BGEA’s internet evangelism ministry, Search for Jesus. As an email coach, she responds to messages left on the Search for Jesus site, PeaceWithGod.net. The site explains the Gospel and gives people an opportunity to connect one-on-one with a Search for Jesus (SFJ) volunteer through online chat, email or a follow-up discipleship course.
It’s perfect for Becky, who has limited mobility and trouble speaking.
“When I type, I have to use the right hand exclusively. But I’m pretty fast because I knew the keyboard before my stroke,” she said.
Becky heard about SFJ when Don Bilotta, a deacon at her church, spoke to the congregation about his own experience volunteering with SFJ.
“I had been praying about getting involved in ministry because I wasn’t doing anything,” Becky said. After Don shared about SFJ, she said, “I thought, ‘That’s just perfect for me because I can do it right in my own home.’”
The flexibility also allows her to work around physical therapy appointments.
It’s been two years since Becky joined the team of volunteers, and now she’s training to become a discipleship coach with the ministry. As a discipleship coach, she would lead new or recommitted Christians through a free online course called Know Jesus. She figures it’s a good way to use her gift of teaching.
Reaching the World from Her Home in Massachusetts
Before the stroke, Becky taught first and second grade at a Christian school, doubling as vice principal. She gardened, cross-stitched, and looked forward to holding and perhaps even homeschooling any future grandchildren.
How has life changed since then?
“Oh boy,” she begins, then pauses.
“Obviously, I can’t do a lot of what I could do before, and I can’t work. … Now I can’t hold grandbabies.”
She continued, “I’ve had to learn to be patient because there’s so many things I want to do, but I can’t, and I have to depend on other people.”
At the same time, a welcome change is that without so much going on, “the stress has gone down significantly.”
Becky says she can’t look at the stroke as an interference—then it would be tragic. Instead, she has to see it as a lifestyle change.
“The Master had something different for His servant to do,” she said plainly.
That “something different” has involved dozens worldwide who Becky has reached by email through the Search for Jesus ministry.
“I like being able to talk about Jesus and meet a lot of people and basically be used by the Lord to get His Word out,” she said. “You never know what seeds were planted.”
One woman who left a comment on PeaceWithGod.net had also had a stroke, and Becky was able to encourage her.
Another online visitor has been writing to Becky off and on for months. She’s helped the person through some hard spiritual times and passed along some BGEA resources to offer guidance in other areas of life.
“I get lots of question along the lines of, ‘How do I get saved?’ This is refreshing to a Christian in New England because we usually get things like, ‘I don’t want to hear about it,’ or ‘Whatever you believe—what works for you is fine.’”
Becky isn’t trying to solve all their problems, but simply points them to Jesus Christ, the one who knows them, loves them and wants to lead them.
‘What Next, God?’
Because it’s hard to speak, Becky talks slowly and really thinks about it before she does: “Is this worth saying? Is this going to draw the listener closer to Jesus?” That translates to her online ministry where she’s always seeking to encourage people and help them be more like Jesus.
“I feel overwhelmed by God’s love. I know that God is not punishing me because Jesus took all the punishment for all my sins. When we experience a bad time, it’s not the time to ask ‘Why me, God?’ The question to ask is ‘What next, God?’”
Becky cited Romans 8:28 about how all things work together for good for those who love God.
That doesn’t mean bad things in life are good, she said.
“I believe the stroke was a bad thing, but I have seen God bring so many good things out of this, so I really feel privileged to share in His work.”
That work doesn’t just extend to the online world, but plays out in her home, too.
Over time, Becky and her husband, Joel, have had a chance to reflect Christ’s character to Becky’s personal care attendant—who just last year accepted Jesus into her life at the couple’s church.
You can tell people about Jesus from wherever you are. Get involved in the Search for Jesus ministry.
